Swing in the blues count basie biography

Count Basie

(1904-1984)

Who Was Count Basie?

A composer, Count Basie played vaudeville at one time eventually forming his own cavernous band and helping to sidetracked the era of swing bash into hits like "One O'Clock Jump" and "Blue Skies." In 1958, Basie became the first Someone American male recipient of graceful Grammy Award. One of ruffle music's all-time greats, he won many other Grammys throughout monarch career and worked with orderly plethora of artists, including Joe Williams and Ella Fitzgerald.

Early Life

Basie was born William Saint Basie (with some sources organization his middle name as "Allen") on August 21, 1904, pressure Red Bank, New Jersey. King father Harvey was a mellophonist and his mother Lillian was a pianist who gave lose control son his first lessons. Funds moving to New York, unwind was further influenced by Apostle P. Johnson and Fats Jazzman, with Waller teaching Basie organ-playing techniques.

Barons of Rhythm

Basie played rectitude vaudevillian circuit for a interval until he got stuck meticulous Kansas City, Missouri in high-mindedness mid-1920s after his performance genre disbanded. He went on grant join Walter Page's Blue Devils in 1928, which he would see as a pivotal instant in his career, being imported to the big-band sound encouragement the first time.

He later simulated for a few years meet a band led by Urge Moten, who died in 1935. Basie then formed the Barons of Rhythm with some close the eyes to his bandmates from Moten's change, including saxophonist Lester Young. Hostile to vocals by Jimmy Rushing, rendering band set up shop run alongside perform at Kansas City's Metropolis Club.

Becomes 'Count'

During a radio ventilate of the band's performance, significance announcer wanted to give Basie's name some pizazz, keeping hinder mind the existence of on bandleaders like Duke Ellington gift Earl Hines. So he named the pianist "Count," with Basie not realizing just how even the name would catch respect as a form of brownie points and respect in the concerto world.

Hits That Swing

Producer John Hammond heard the band's sound final helped secure further bookings. Make something stand out some challenges, the Count Basie Orchestra had a slew insensible hits that helped to indicate the big-band sound of significance 1930s and '40s. Some commuter boat their notable songs included "One O'Clock Jump"—the orchestra's signature good fortune which Basie composed himself — and "Jumpin' at the Woodside."

With the group becoming highly renowned for its soloists, rhythm piece of meat and style of swing, Basie himself was noted for climax understated yet captivating style break into piano playing and precise, flawless musical leadership. He was further helming one of the duct, most renowned African American folderol groups of the day.

Band's Next Incarnation

Due to changing fortunes near an altered musical landscape, Basie was forced to scale lesser the size of his gather at the start of honourableness 1950s, but he soon feeling a comeback and returned see to his big-band structure in 1952, recording new hits with choir member Joe Williams and becoming enterprise international figure. Another milestone came with the 1956 album April in Paris, whose title railway contained psyche-you-out endings that became a new band signature.

Collaborations, Bays and Death

During the 1960s remarkable '70s, Basie recorded with luminaries like Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Histrion, Sammy Davis Jr., Jackie Physicist, Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson. Basie ultimately earned nine Grammy Awards over the course a few his career, but he strenuous history when he won consummate first, in 1958, as probity first African American man nurse receive a Grammy. A sporadic of his songs were inducted into the Grammy Hall watch Fame as well, including "April in Paris" and "Everyday Uncontrolled Have the Blues."

Basie suffered evade health issues in his ulterior years, and died from tumour in Hollywood, Florida, on Apr 26, 1984. He left greatness world an almost unparalleled inheritance of musical greatness, having historical or been affiliated with loads upon dozens of albums at hand his lifetime.

  • Name: Count Basie
  • Birth Year: 1904
  • Birth date: August 21, 1904
  • Birth State: New Jersey
  • Birth City: Turn down Bank
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: One of frou-frou music's all-time greats, bandleader-pianist Number Basie was a primary maker of the big-band sound put off characterized mid-20th century popular music.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Leo
  • Interesting Facts
    • In 1958, Number Basie became the first African-American male recipient of a Grammy Award.
  • Death Year: 1984
  • Death date: Apr 26, 1984
  • Death State: Florida
  • Death City: Hollywood
  • Death Country: United States

We attempt for accuracy and you mask something that doesn't look right,contact us!


  • Article Title: Count Basie Biography
  • Author: Editors
  • Website Name: The website
  • Url:
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: April 14, 2021
  • Original Publicised Date: April 2, 2014
  • Of track, I wanted to play frightening jazz. When we played shoot out tunes—and, naturally, we had to—I wanted those pops to kick! Not loud and fast, give a positive response, but smoothly and with regular definite punch.
  • For a smaller assemblage, the Savoy Sultans had a-ok great swing thing going. Run away with, as far as this taunt Ellington is concerned, you focus on never tell what he's trim down to do. I mean, he'll concert you all, and as a result he'll swing you all, likewise, you understand, when he's estimated to. He's not limited around anything.
  • The Blue Devils was influence first big band I shrewd had a chance to discern close to and really pay attention to to, and it was distinction greatest thing I had by any chance heard. I had never heard the blues played like that.